CINCINNATI — On Thursday, Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) students returned to school for the first time after the winter storm. The return caused a mixed reaction from parents, with many telling us they're worried for the safety of the students.
Around 7 a.m. Thursday, as students headed to school, the feels-like temperature in Cincinnati was between -10 and -16 degrees.
“This is unsafe. To me, school should’ve been closed for the week,” said Kelly Morris, a Covedale Elementary School parent.
Near James N. Gamble Montessori High School Thursday morning, we saw kids walking in the road to avoid the snow-covered sidewalks.
Hear concerns CPS parents have with students returning to school in the video below:
That was one of the several concerns brought up by parents during a “rapid response” meeting put on by the Cincinnati Parent Empowerment Network (CPEN).
About half the parents in attendance said they didn’t send their kids to school on Thursday. Morris, whose son gets door-to-door transportation to school due to his disabilities, was one of the parents who chose to keep their child at home.
“My street is a hill, I live on the west side. There’s no way that the bus could’ve came down there, so I texted them last night to let them know that it’s unsafe,” Morris said. “My street was completely iced.”
Morris told us her son also won’t be going to school Friday, as she believes it’ll still be unsafe for her son to make it to school.
She said that her son's absences from Thursday and Friday will be marked as “unexcused”.
“It's got to be excused, let them have options,” Morris said.
Other parents at Thursday’s meeting, like Ronshea Walker, said they were happy that the schools reopened.
Are you a CPS parent concerned about the decision to return to school? Marlena wants to hear from you:
“I was happy that they had the option to go to school because they were actually missing their teachers, missing their friends and just missing our routine,” said Walker, who has kids at three different CPS schools. “Just showing that school is important.”
But she said she understands that everyone’s circumstances are different and believes the district should have other options for students who may not be able to make it to school safely.
“Get with your PTO, get with your principals and your schools and find out what your kids and your schools' needs are, and then everyone gets all hands on deck. That’s what I think should happen,” Walker said.
Several parents at the CPEN meeting said that there needs to be more preparation in the future when snow or cold-weather events happen. Some suggestions included bringing back virtual learning or sending children home with work packets when inclement weather is expected.
We reached out to CPS, asking what led to the decision to reopen schools and if they could address the safety concerns.
They replied with the same statement they sent on Monday when schools were closed, which shared the criteria they use to determine opening or closing schools due to inclement weather.
"The district reviewed multiple weather forecasts, assessed conditions on district streets, and considered the exposure students could face while walking or riding buses, and determined it was safe for students," the statement said.
